PBUC , J/R, and Evans

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally posted by PeteBooth


For the majority of us amateur umpires it really doesn't matter what MLB does, because we do not use PURE OBR rules anyway.

In addition, the OBR rule-book is boring. When I first started umpiring I did not think I would be umpiring for long because I fell asleep during the rules portion. The instructor put in a tape, turned off the lights and the next thing I knew someone was waking me up.

IMO, the majority of us learn through examples and that's what the reference materials do for us. They EXPLAIN the rules using examples.

Also, even if MLB does in fact re-write the rule-book it still has to go through the players association. MLB is a DIFFERENT game. Case and point:

About 5 yrs ago or there abouts, MLB issued a memo to the umpires to start calling more balks because they felt F1's were getting away with too much. In the forst 6 months of that year more balks were called then in the previous year.
The players association got involved and basically said "this is OUR game and go back to the old way of calling things" if you want to umpire in OUR league.

In summary, for the majority of us, the MLB rule book is a moot point. For me personally Papa C's book is a great source because I call ball using more than one rule code.

Most leagues even Legion uses a FPSR and a No Malicious Contact rule. No matter what MLB does I do not think they will adopt SAFETY rules which most of us are used to.

The interpretations that matter most are what the NCAA writes and the FED writes because those rule codes are what we as amateurs deal with on a daily bases.

The problem is in leagues that "borrow" the OBR rule-book and try and apply it to the amateur game. It's like oil and water - they do not mix.

The materials that you quoted are reference materials that explain the rules. No matter what is written there will always be some "grey areas" that we rely on expert opinions.

Pete Booth

Pete,

I feel the same way about Fed rules. Boring, and other than the safety rules, nutty. Some of the rules seem like the committee was on acid when they came up with them.

Nearly every amateur league out here uses the OBR. They modify one playing rule, the "no malicious contact" rule.
They never mention a FPSR. Pony Baseball, which has been around since 1953, has always used "The Sporting News Rules" since its inception. Of course, the parts of the rules concerning professional baseball only, are not enforced. Nobody enforces the fraternization rule, or Rule 1.16, or any other rule designed for the pros. They modify the technical rules to fit the age groups, and their amateur status.

We work the CIF High School season from March through the end of May, with the playoffs spilling into the first week of June. After that, we work exclusively OBR for the rest of the year, except for any Coaches Winter or Summer League high school games, for which, of course, we use Fed rules. We often have a group of kids in a Coaches League game on Tuesday, and have the same kids in a Colt or Palomino game on Thursday. They have to know the rule differences too. Many times it gets confusing to the players and coaches. I've had to explain why the ball was still alive on a balk after a base hit, or why the pitcher couldn't go to his mouth on the rubber. It goes with the territory.

But we don't choose the rules these leagues use. The leagues choose which rules to play by, and we just have to deal with it.

The second and third paragraphs of the Foreword of the OBR states:

"We recognize that many amateur and non-professional organizations play their games under professional rules, and we are happy to make our rules available as widely as possible. It is well to remember that specifications as to fields, equipment, etc. may be modified to meet the needs of each group.

Money fines, long-term suspensions and similar penalties imposed by this code are not practical for amateur groups, but officers and umpires of such organizations should insist on strict observance of all rules governing the playing of the game."

Other than the "slide or avoid" rule, we do.

[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Nov 20th, 2005 at 11:40 AM]